Breaking Dawn  Chapter 1: Engaged
by Twi-ReWrite Contest
Summary: Bella reflects over the details of the comprise she made with Edward and how things went when they informed her parents of their impending wedding.


**Book & Chapter: Breaking Dawn - Chapter 1: Engaged**

**Word Count: 6,072**  
**Rated: PG13**  
**Summary: Bella reflects over the details of the comprise she made with Edward and how things went when they informed her parents of their impending wedding.**

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I had always considered Edward a fabulous listener, but when it came to getting something for me, his listening skills went out the window. When I had said he could buy me a new car, I had expected a Toyota, or a Chevy, or maybe a Volvo, even a Honda…not this- this monstrosity.

For a family that tried to blend in with their surroundings, they were failing, miserably. Their oldest son definitely didn't help in the situation in the least. The car he had bought me, made me stick out like a sore thumb more than my old truck had.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by the new car. I couldn't even sit at the traffic light without feeling eyes on me. I chanced a glance from the corner of my eye to the minivan sitting next to me. Mrs. Weber was gawking at me unabashedly and eyeing the car as if a superstar was in it. I recoiled and tried to bury myself in the seat as she continued her examination. I didn't care if the window were darkly tinted to the point that they were almost black, staring was rude no matter what the circumstances.

No matter where I went, someone or everyone stared. Did Edward forget that I _hate_ being the center of attention? Note to self: they're staring at the car, not me.

The car. The car Edward bought for me. _My_ car. I wanted to start crying just thinking about it.

Stopping pedestrians on the sidewalks and drawing shop owners to their windows just by sitting in the street waiting for the stupid light to change. This was so embarrassing.

I used a little too much strength when I pressed down on the gas pedal when the light finally turned green and the car bolted forward suddenly. It was like riding in the Gravitron at the fair, my body, face and stomach pressed into the black leather seat. Another note to self: NOT MY CHEVY TRUCK!

While letting out an irritated growl, I gently tapped the brake and the car came to an abrupt standstill. Okay, that somewhat hurt. Maybe I could convince Edward into a neck massage later.

Please, I hoped no one saw that. If so, due to my little braking stunt, all doubt there might have been about who was behind the wheel had to be gone. I gave the gas pedal a feather light touch with the tip of my shoe and the car jerked forward again.

By some miracle, I managed to reach my destination, the closest gas station. If it weren't for the 'extra empty' light blinking on my dashboard, I wouldn't be here right now. Because of my new set of wheels and the attention it got, I was avoiding going into town, no matter how badly I wanted Pop-Tarts, a new book or shampoo.

I wished I was already a vampire, then I could move at lightning speed and all anyone would see was a blur. I pressed the button to release the gas tank hatch then quickly exited the car. I ran to the back of the car, removed the gas cap then turned to the machine, scanned my card, and practically threw the nozzle into the tank. The lethargic ticking of the gauge unnerved me to no end and I debated kicking the pump to see if it would move faster but I would just hurt myself in the process so I decided against it.

Despite what Edward told me about not worrying what other people thought about me, my new car, my acceptance to Dartmouth, the solid black credit card in my back pocket, and the glittering planet called the ring on my finger – I still felt self-conscious and it was stupid.

The antique, delicate ring on my left hand felt like a lighthouse beacon, demanding attention from everyone. I knew in my head that no one was looking at the ring but that didn't help the nagging feeling deep down that, I was on display for the world to see. All I needed was a blinking tiara that said: _Look at me now_.

Edward was right, I need to realize – who cares what anyone thinks anyway.

"Um…hey, lady?" I turned at hearing a man's shy voice from behind me, boy was that a mistake. I saw two men standing next to their SUV, which had two brand-new kayaks tied to the roof. They were staring unabashedly at my car, not even glancing at me; I'm surprised they even knew I was female.

"Sorry to bug you, but what kind of car is that?" asked the taller man, his eyes still locked on the car.

I don't understand people sometimes. Personally, I was happy if I could differentiate between Dodge, Chevy, Ford or Toyota. All I could really tell them was that this car was black, shiny, sleek, pretty, and very fast. I cringed and took a stab at the make.

"Um, I think it's a Mercedes," I knew I sounded skeptical but at least I tried.

The taller man chuckled softly. "Yes, you're right, it's a Mercedes, but I was wondering if it was the Mercedes _Guardian_?"

His voice was full of admiration and awe. I had a suspicion that him and Edward would get along spectacularly. He continued to stare at the vehicle my fiancé deemed suitable for me to drive. Yes, I said 'fiancé'…Edward Cullen, my fiancé – there was no denying the truth when, in only a few days, he would be my husband.

"You can't get these cars in Europe yet," his eyes widened as the reality of his own words hit him, "you especially can't get them here yet."

I looked over the car and tried to figure out how it stood apart from any other Mercedes sedan out there, it looked almost identical to Carlisle's car to me. I let him eye hump the car as I silently mulled over the topic of my impending nuptials. _Fiancé_, _engagement_, _wedding_, _husband_, _wife_, etc…those words were like a foreign language to me.

No matter how hard I tried, my head just would not make sense of it all.

My parents hadn't helped regarding my views on marriage. They had divorced when I was only eighteen months old and since then, they had ingrained in me all the negative aspects of marriage. But that aside, I couldn't imagine my vampire _fiancé_ in a serious, honorable, and monotonous roll like being a husband. It was like telling a priest to be a lawyer instead; I just couldn't picture it happening.

My fantasies staring Edward started to get a little out of hand and started drifting off to what our honeymoon would be like. The clearing of a throat brought me abruptly down to earth unfortunately and I glanced at the tall man that apparently was still waiting on the confirmation about the cars make and model.

"Um, I'm not sure exactly," I answered him honestly and shrugged.

"Would it be alright to take a picture with it?" he asked hopefully with a shy smile.

"You want a picture…with the car?" I asked, both surprised and embarrassed.

"Please…if I don't have proof, nobody will believe a word I say." Oh. My. God. He just gave me the puppy dog eyes that I was starting to hate thanks to Alice.

"Um…I guess, sure." I quickly returned the gas nozzle to the pump and slunk into the driver seat to conceal myself while the stranger pulled out a massive professional looking camera from the backseat of the SUV. They moved all around the car, posing, smiling, and snapping photo after photo.

I sank deeper into my seat in attempt to hide myself better. "Why did my truck have to die?" I whined softly.

It was way…_way,_ too convenient that my truck would choose to pass on just two weeks after I had agreed to the weird compromise of allowing Edward many things in exchange for him turning me – one of those compromises entailed him buying me a new vehicle when my truck departed this life.

Edward swore up and down that he had nothing to do with my trucks 'timely death', as he put it. He had claimed the truck had lived a full, productive life and it was its time to go and it had died of natural causes – this coming from the person with two medical degrees and no ASE certification. In addition, since I was on the outs with my favorite mechanic, I had no one to validate his statement and there was no way I could fix it…that would be like telling Emmett and Rosalie to be celibate for a month – not possible.

A few words muttered by the men outside got my attention and I listened more intently as the spoke.

"…shot it with a rifle, a bazooka and a flamethrower in the online video I saw. Not a dent or bubble…"

"Pfft, of course there wasn't. A tank couldn't scratch this puppy. However, who would need the kind of security? Mob bosses, drug lords, presidents probably?"

"Wonder if she's anyone special, a mob boss's daughter maybe?" the short one whispered over the hood of the car.

"I guess anything is possible, but why would anyone need missile-proof glass, in Washington? And the Guardian is estimated at around two tons just in the body armor," stated the tall stranger.

Two tons…that's four thousand pounds of just body armor alone! In addition, why in the world would I need missile-proof glass? Wouldn't bulletproof glass suffice?

Edward had a weird, twisted sense of humor if he thought a luxury style tank was the perfect car for me, I'll have to have a talk with him.

I should have listened to the sickening feeling in my stomach. The moment I agreed to let him replace my truck when it croaked, an enormous grin appeared on his face and I could literally see the wheels turning behind his mischievous amber eyes. I should have known better. When I had made the deal concerning my truck, I had no clue that it would become a permanent fixture on the curb outside my house only a couple weeks after I made the deal. It seemed suspicious to me. Nevertheless, when it did unfortunately happen, Edward quickly took up his end of the bargain and bought me a new car, two cars in fact.

He stuck to his story that the Mercedes was only the "before" car, stating that I needed something durable, dependable, and safe. He swore up and down that, it was only on loan and that he had to send it back after our wedding.

At first, I thought he just wanted to buy a new, state of the art, expensive vehicle but in truth, he feared that I was so accident-prone that I might inadvertently drive over the top of a missile switch and need the added protection. If Edward and his brothers had joked about me being a magnet for danger, then I would seriously be doing some damage upon becoming an immortal.

Over the last few weeks, I seemed to have developed an inner voice and she was annoying at times – much like my future sister-in-law. _Maybe he's just making sure your safe until you're changed. Is it really so bad to have a man that is enthusiastic about trying to protect you with everything he is? So, he went a little overboard, it's not the first time, and I guarantee it won't be the last._

I growled quietly to myself. A _little_ overboard?

Don't get me started on the "after" car. I hadn't even seen the thing yet but I was ninety-nine percent positive that I could trade it in for the same value of a small island. Most people would normally be thrilled and try to sneak a peek at what was beneath the sheet buried in the darkest, deepest recesses of the Cullens' garage…but personally, I could care less.

At least the "after" car was probably cheaper than the "before" car since it didn't need the missile-proof body armor. Because, once we were back from the honeymoon, I wouldn't need even bulletproof armor. Being virtually indestructible was a minor reward to immortality. I wasn't impressed with the luxurious cars or bottomless credit cards – it was the love, the…

"Thanks a bunch, we're done," the tall stranger yelled as he tried to see through the dark tint of the window.

"No problem," I hollered back then tensed as I eagerly started the engine and carefully pressed the pedal down…very gently…

Even if I increased the speed of my car, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape the numerous yellowish, rain-faded posters attached to telephone poles, trees and street signs. With each flyer I passed, it was like a strike to the face, a slap I couldn't argue against even if I wanted to. A worn poster of my favorite mechanic and friend at every opportunity made it impossible to avoid the pink elephant that was following me endlessly. My best guy friend, Jacob.

My father thought he was doing the right thing by putting up _HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?_ posters all over Forks, Port Angeles, and every other town on the Olympic peninsula. Billy never asked for this, it was all on Charlie's shoulders, the printing, the spreading, and the calling of other police offices in the state. Charlie even had a corkboard devoted to the searching of Jacob, a board that was unfortunately empty with the exception of what information Billy and I could give.

My dad was getting increasingly aggravated and discouraged at how this investigation was going. Despite his many, many calls to other precincts, there had been no news to add to the pegboard. Billy was at the top of his frustration list, he was surprisingly unruffled and indifferent about his sixteen-year-old son running away.

When Billy refused to post the flyers in La Push, Jacob's home, Charlie blew a gasket. Billy told him, "Jake was learning about life and that he'll come home when he was ready." Being the upstanding police chief we knew Charlie to be, he wasn't going to leave it at that, something was wrong, he could _sense_ it.

I had sadly placed myself just under Billy on Charlie's _frustrated list_ when I too refused to hang flyers and agreed with Billy. We both knew that this boy wasn't going to appear for a while, so to speak.

My eyes started to sting with each poster I passed and I was grateful Edward was out hunting. He hated it when I cried and he would apologize profusely, even if it wasn't his fault – he would think of some way to link it back to him.

When I pulled carefully onto my street I noticed, Charlie's police cruiser parked in the driveway. Apparently, he was still sulking about the news of the wedding. Why couldn't he just go out, catch a few fish, and vent his anger at them, not sit at home pouting about it?

With my father home, there was no way I could safely make _this_ phone call.

I parked behind the Chevy still life and pulled my 'emergency' phone that Edward gave me out of the glove box. I quickly dialed and pressed the phone to my ear, keeping my thumb on the "end" button, just in case I needed to hang up quickly.

"Hello?" a sigh of relief overtook me at hearing Seth's voice. I was prepared to hang up if his sister Leah had answered instead. Leah would quite literally _bite my head off_ just for calling and Leah terrified me. I know laughable right, I'm engaged to a vampire and scared of a dog – normally no, Leah – yes.

"Hi, it's Bella."

"Bella, hey! How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," could be better though.

"Checking up to see if there is anything new?"

I scoffed at his question, "When did you become psychic?"

"I'm not Alice…your just that predictable," he snickered on the other side of the phone. Out of all the Quileute's, only Seth was comfortable talking about or to the Cullens, and here he was joking about my future-seeing-sister-in-law-to-be.

I sighed. "I guess I am…how is he?"

"Same as before," Seth sighed ominously. "He's trying to keep his mind animalistic. We know he hears us but he's ignoring everything we tell him. He won't say a word."

"Any idea of where he is now?" last I heard he was in Montana.

"Northern Canada I think. Everything looks the same to him and he doesn't care about state lines."

"Do you think he might…?"

"Sorry Bella, I don't think he's coming home."

"It's okay…I was just hoping for the best."

"Yeah, you're not the only one," he sighed and sounded disheartened.

"I really appreciate what you're probably putting yourself through. I'm sure the others give you a bad time about all of this drama."

I could hear him snickering over the phone. "They're not that fond of any of you…that's for sure. I think it's kind of lame." He grunted and I could picture him shrugging his shoulders. "Jacob made his own choices, as did you. Jake's just bent out of shape because your decision wasn't what he was hoping it would be. Plus he isn't exactly thrilled that your checking up on him so much either."

I thought over his words and something occurred to me. "Wait a minute; I thought you said he wasn't talking to anyone?"

"Despite how hard he may try, he can't hide everything from the pack."

He did know I was worried but he didn't seem to care. Even if I had chosen someone else, that was somewhat mean. At least he knew I was worried about him and didn't run off in to the sunset with Edward I was just pushing him to the back of my mind. Did he really think I was capable of that? Probably.

Well, I guess I'll see you in a few days at the…wedding?" that was still a foreign word to me and I had a difficult time saying it.

"It will only be mom and me. Thanks for inviting us…that was so cool."

I immediately felt terrible for not being the one who thought to invite the Clearwaters. It had been Edward's idea. Ever since the battle with the newborns, those two acted almost like brothers. I think Edward was thrilled to have a smaller, younger male around that he could treat as his little brother. Everyone thought I was insane for wanting vampires and werewolves to get along, but Edward and Seth proved that it was possible.

Most of the Cullens were on board with my idea – not so much with the Quileutes.

"Tell Edward hi for me, okay?"

"Absolutely. Can't wait to see you at the wedding." It was nice having some link to my missing friend and best man. "If you weren't there, it wouldn't be the same."

Seth hissed into the phone, startling me. "Leah's home, gotta go."

"Okay, bye!"

I shivered as the phone went dead – it was creepy. I placed the phone back in the glove box and mentally prepared myself for the wrath I was sure to encounter upon entering the house.

I'm surprised Charlie hadn't resorted to running down the street screaming from over thinking. First, his best friend's son goes missing and Billy didn't seem to care. Then his barely-turned-eighteen-legally-an adult daughter informs him she's about to get married. Who wouldn't be overstressed, a little bit?

I walked toward the house, vividly remembering how my father reacted to the news the night we told him of our engagement…

"Sit still, you're fidgeting too much. He'll immediately think something is wrong. You didn't do anything wrong did you?"

"Of course I didn't do anything. It's easy for you to say to stop fidgeting, you'll know what he's thinking – I'm flying blind here. And your parents are thrilled, mine – not so much," I hissed in irritation.

The crunch of gravel under tires alerted us to Charlie's approach. My stomach did a sickening flop and the ring on my finger suddenly felt like it weighed a ton. I hastily shoved my left hand under my leg in an effort to hide the ring but Edward quickly grasped my hand before I could succeed on sitting on it. He held my hand firmly and shook his head back and forth slowly.

With each stomp of my father's boots on the sidewalk, my stomach did another flop. Then I heard the keys rattling in the already opened door and my stomach did another flip. This was not the time to get sick.

"Bella, please calm down. Should I have asked Jasper to join us?" I shook my head but mouthed yes at Edward's whispered question.

I nearly flew off the couch when the front door slammed against the wall. As if I wasn't scared before, now I was terrified. Edward's firm hold on my hands held me stationary on the seat next to him.

"Hey-"

"No!" I cut him off instantly and he looked at me questioningly. "Wait until he's put his gun away." Edward chucked and traced circles on my hand as he looked at me with amused, topaz eyes.

I involuntarily cringed when Charlie rounded the corner, still in uniform, still armed, and still relatively annoyed with Edward. Lately, he had been trying to like Edward more but what had happened when he left still gnawed on him. Well if he was still sore about that, then this revelation was sure to send him off the deep end.

"Oh, hi kids. What's going on?" he asked unpretentiously.

"We would like to talk to you," Edward said calmly and smiled at me. "We have some fantastic news to tell you."

"Not just good news…fantastic news?" Charlie growled as he slowly walked over to his chair and sat down, placing his police issue .9mm on the side table then sat up straight. He stared at me then his eyes darted to my flat stomach. What the…!

"Oh god, no, I'm not pregnant!" I shouted at his preconceived notion. "Now stay calm, everything is fine." Edward winced and looked downhearted as I said the word _fine_. I'm positive he would have preferred the adjectives _magnificent_, _perfect_, or _splendid_.

"Right, sure its fine. If things are fine, then why do you look like you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar?"

"I didn't eat a canary!" I snapped rather quickly then diverted my eyes over to Edward.

"Your actions would imply otherwise, cop remember, I notice these things." Edward smirked when Charlie turned a critical eye on him then back to me. "So, you're not pregnant?"

I saw his fingers twitch slightly and his hand slid minutely toward the gun on the side table. I frantically shook my head no. "Definitely not pregnant!" I glared at Edward when I heard a small chuckle. I told him this would happen. In this century, what other reason do teens have for getting married so young? Two words were his answer and I rolled my eyes. _For love_.

He continued to examine my face, looking for the smallest hint that I was lying. Didn't he know by now that I sucked at lying? The room fell silent and it made me a bit uneasy. I glanced around and saw both men were gazing at me, waiting for _me_ to say something. Was he kidding? There was no way I was going to be able to explain our news.

Edward sat up straighter and faced my father. "Charlie, I'm sorry. For doing things the traditional way, I'm a bit out of order. Bella has already agreed, so instead of asking for permission, I'll ask for your blessing. We're getting married. I can't begin to explain the depths of my love for your daughter because it's infinite. There isn't anything in the world I wouldn't give up for her if it made her happy. Honestly, it's a miracle that she loves me that deeply also in return. Will you please give us your blessing?"

The way Edward spoke, with such conviction and absolute devotion, showed me how my avoidance of the marriage issue was absurd. That marrying him made perfect sense and my heart fluttered.

From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Charlie's face. He was now staring daggers at the ring on my left hand and his face turned red, then changed to purple, then to blue. I moved to stand up so I could check on him but Edward squeezed my hand and whispered, "Just wait a minute," into my ear. The room was completely silent and unnerving. Slowly, Charlie's coloring returned to normal, he pursed his lips and his eyebrows dropped. It was his deep-in-thought look and I felt like a five year old again as he examined us. I was confused when I felt Edward relax at my side after several minutes.

"I should have known," Charlie mumbled. "I knew eventually this day would come, I just wished it would be another thirty odd years."

A sigh of relief left me.

"Are you sure you want to do this _now_?" Charlie asked sharply, glaring at me intently.

"I'm one hundred and fifty percent sure that I'm meant to be with Edward," I stated firmly, without any hesitation.

"But what's the rush to get married? Why not wait a few years?" there was suspicion in his eyes again and the darted to my stomach for a split second.

The reasons for the hasty wedding couldn't be explained to Charlie. As the seconds ticked by, I was getting closer to nineteen, while Edward would forever remain seventeen – which meant I was already the older woman. I didn't see the necessity for the marriage but it was a requirement based on our agreement, the very complicated compromise.

"Since we're going to Dartmouth in the fall, I'd like to do things right," Edward told Charlie coolly then shrugged. "I'm old fashioned, that's how I was raised. A man and a woman need to be married before they can live together." And he wasn't exaggerating – old fashioned morals and respect were a big thing during World War I.

Charlie's mouth contorted and he tilted his head slightly to the side, most likely looking for a position to argue. What could he say: _just live in sin until you're out of college_? Yeah right, he was a father; he couldn't say something like that. He sighed then his face turned blank.

Much to my surprise Charlie exploded into laughter. "Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"Dad?" I asked worriedly. I glanced to Edward for an explanation but his face remained unreadable as he watched Charlie.

I stared disbelievingly at Charlie as he double over from laughing so hard. I shot a hopeful look at Edward, waiting for a translation as to what was running through my father's mind. However, Edward looked as if he was trying to avoid laughing as well.

"Fine, get married. Go for it," Charlie chocked out as another wave of laughter hit him. I was getting really annoyed, what was so funny? "But you have to tell your mom! My lips are sealed. You get the privilege of telling her." He then went right back to his laughing.

Of course, Charlie would give me the task of telling my mother that I was getting married. An early marriage spelled doom in her book and was at the top of her blacklist. No one could have guessed what her response would be. I definitely didn't. I knew Charlie didn't. I should have asked Alice but it never crossed my mind until after.

"Well it's about time you told me! The cost of plane tickets have gone up you know," she seemed frantic and it sounded like she was flipping through some papers. "I hope Phil's cast will be off by then? It would look so odd if he was the only one not in a tux-"

"Whoa, whoa…back up. What do you mean it's about time? I just got en—Edward just asked me..." I was having a difficult time getting the correct words out. "It just happened, recently."

"Really? I thought…"

"What do you mean you thought? Thought what?"

"Well when you two visited in the spring, I thought you were already engaged. You're extremely easy to read and with the way you two were acting, I just assumed. I didn't say anything. I wanted to wait until you were ready." She then sighed loudly. "You're exactly like your father. Once you've made up your mind, you stick to it and no amount of arguing will work on you."

"Edward says I'm stubborn that way."

"Bella, you sound terrified. Are you scared of what I was going to think? You're not me, you're not going to make my mistakes, you're going to make your own," she giggled. "You have no reason to be scared. When I talked about marriage and stupidity, I was talking about myself. Don't get me wrong, I still think marrying right out of high school is a bad idea. But you're a completely different person than I am. You're bound to make your own mistakes in life; I just hope you'll learn from them. You've never had a problem with the issue of commitment – when you start something, you see it through until the end. I'd bet good money that you and Edward will work out fine – better even than most forty year olds I know." Her giggle this time was louder and more vigorous. "My little thirty-five-year-old child. I'm glad it appears that you've found another old soul and he seems to be your soulmate."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad. I just wish you'd wait a little longer. I'm not old enough to be a mother-in-law and nowhere near old enough to be a grandmother. This is your decision, it's a big one but it belongs wholly to you. Does he make you happy, sweetie?" she chuckled softly.

"Yes, of course."

"Is there a possibility that you are ever going to want anyone else?"

"No, but—"

"But what?"

"Aren't you going to yell at me for sounding exactly like every other infatuated teenager out there? That I'm too young."

"You've never been a teenager and you know it. You know what's best for _you_ and I trust your decisions."

My mother then immersed herself in plans for the wedding: what to pack, when she should be here, how she could help. Since she spent hours every day talking to Esme on the phone, it was obvious I didn't have to worry about feuding in-laws. Renée made it clear on a recent call that she adored Esme and appreciated all she was doing for me in her stead.

I doubted there was a being anywhere in the world that wouldn't have the same response to Esme as Renée had. My future-in-laws and my family were taking care of all the wedding details, all I had to do was show up – which suited me fine.

Charlie considered Renée a traitor in the battle of parenthood. He had counted on her to put her foot down and end this marriage. Boy was he wrong. When he threatened to tell Mom, I became nervous once again but the moment I told her the news, my nervousness melted away. Now that he was out of ways to cease our wedding he took to moping around the house, mumbling that he couldn't trust anyone anymore….What a big baby!

"Dad?" I hollered aloud as I reluctantly opened the door.

"Hold on a sec Bells, I'm just – OUCH! Alice, watch it!"

Alice was here?

"Sorry Charlie, if you wouldn't fidget so much, you wouldn't get poked," Alice snapped at him in annoyance.

"Oh god, I'm bleeding aren't I? I'm bleeding on it…"

"Trust me – you're not bleeding.

"What in the world is going on in there?" I shouted from the hallway leading to the living room, scared to step foot into the room with Alice.

"Wait another thirty seconds Bella, please. It will be worth it," Alice told me firmly.

Charlie whined loudly from the other room.

I counted to thirty by tapping my foot on the floor. Just as I hit twenty-nine toe taps, Alice chirped happily. "Okay, come in, he's ready."

I moved slowly around the corner and into the living room. "Oh, Dad. You look…"

"Don't say it, I know I look like silly," he interrupted and eyed himself with a grimace.

"I was leaning towards _charming_ and _elegant_."

My dad blushed and Alice grabbed his elbow and proceeded to spin him around the room, showing off his pale gray tuxedo.

"Alice, stop that before I get sick and ruin the suit!"

Alice paused for a second then continued. "You won't get sick and you look great so flaunt what you got."

I giggled at her last statement, there's an aspect of my father I _never_ want to witness. "Final fitting check for the _both_ of you."

Now I noticed the large white garment bag that draped carefully across the most of the sofa. "Oh…"

"Remember, happy place Bella. It won't take as long this time," she said cheerfully and I thought I was going to be sick.

I was not looking forward to another poking, prodding and pinning session. I stumbled up the stairs and headed directly toward my room. Without a word, I stripped down to my underwear and spread my arms straight out.

"Good lord Bella, you act as if I'm sticking needles under your finger nails," Alice muttered under her breath exasperatingly.

I ignored her complaint. She told me to go to my happy place and that's where I was. When I was in my happy place, the wedding dress chaos was over, the wedding itself was behind me and I was with Edward on our honeymoon. Everything else was forgotten.

Edward was in charge of planning our honeymoon and he was keeping his lips sealed about any details pertaining to it. Therefore, when I imagined our destination it was always something different – from romantic misty forests, to chilly arctic nights in front of a fire, to hot isolated beaches. Naturally it wasn't the _where_ that I was concerned with, it was the _who_ that made my heart flutter.

I had fulfilled my side of our negotiation: marriage, new car—cars, registered at Dartmouth. Now it was his turn to uphold his end of the bargain. He had agreed to change me into a vampire, personally – but he had one more compromise he had to fulfill and in his eyes, it was a huge stipulation to accomplish.

Edward was obsessed with me experiencing all the important aspects of being human while I could. He dragged me to the prom and now we're having a wedding all because of his demand for human experiences. Almost all of the experiences he wanted me to have I could care less about, but there was one I wanted and he fought me at every turn.

There was one problem I wasn't looking forward to right after I was changed. I had seen it first hand with the newborn army and my soon to be family recounted their stories about how the _thirst_ had controlled their lives for the first couple of years. Once I was a vampire and while I was in search for blood, there was one thing I wouldn't want. Edward.

I wanted to feel passionately in love and have a _real_ honeymoon with my new husband before I made the ultimate sacrifice to be with him for eternity. Even though he feared what his strength could do to my body, he agreed that we would at least _try_.

As Alice slid and pulled the satin over my skin, I completely blocked her out. At that moment, I didn't care what she was doing to me, what the town was talking about, that soon I would be attending my own wedding, that I might trip on my train, that I was too young, or the giggling and rumors about me.

I was with Edward in my happily ever after, in a fantasy honeymoon.


End file.
